Chapter 200: Meeting the Queen Mother
Liang Jingyao knew that Lin Xiaoyue had misunderstood, so he explained, "How could I blame you? Chen Hu told me everything. You and the six Silver Slash Guards stayed on the tree for the entire night. It's all my fault. You suffered so much. The bamboo courtyard has expanded a lot now, and there are rooms for you. You and Yunyun should go back and rest for a while. I'll arrange lunch, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Lin Xiaoyue would be lying if she said she wasn't tired, but she was still worried: would Emperor Liang swallow this? The answer was definitely not.
She shook her head and said, "Brother Liang, let's not sleep anymore. I'll go back to Yangming Town after lunch."
Liang Jingyao asked in surprise, "I heard you moved all the food back to the bamboo courtyard. It's not safe for you to live in the teahouse alone now. You have to go out to buy food. How inconvenient! Don't leave!"
Lin Xiaoyue explained, "I will come back. Before I left yesterday, I asked Master Gu to help me recruit soldiers and horses. I don't know how he's doing. I want to go over and take a look."
Liang Jingyao was relieved to hear that Lin Xiaoyue would only come back. "You did a good job. We will have to fight against Emperor Liang sooner or later. The Cheetah Army of just over a hundred people is not enough. After dinner, I'll go with you! By the way, let's go see how the people in the city are doing. Has it affected their lives?"
Lin Xiaoyue felt that this was what he should do, nodded and said, "Okay! Let's go together!"
Liang Jingyao touched Lin Xiaoyue's head lovingly and said, "It's still early. I'll take you to see the Queen Mother. She just woke up before I came out."
Lin Xiaoyue knew that since they all lived under the same roof, they would definitely see each other, so she responded openly, "Okay. Dad said that the Queen Mother can only eat light food recently. I made her some white porridge and some appetizers. Since she's awake, let her eat something to warm her stomach first, right?"
Liang Jingyao saw the steam coming out of the pot and said with a smile: "Yue'er is really smart. The Queen Mother will definitely like you when she sees you!"
Lin Xiaoyue did not do this to please the Queen Mother. She did this because, firstly, the Queen Mother was her father's patient, secondly, she and Yunyun were the only two girls in the bamboo courtyard who could cook, and thirdly, the Queen Mother's support was very important to Liang Jingyao.
She quickly served two bowls of steaming white porridge, and brought out a bowl of steamed egg with meat, placing them on a tray along with a plate of refreshing salted radish. She picked up the tray and said, "The eldest princess must be hungry too. I'll serve her a bowl too. Let's go!"
Liang Jingyao nodded appreciatively and took Lin Xiaoyue to the east room.
In the east room, when Lin Xiaoyue walked in with a tray, two pairs of eyes inside looked over at her at the same time. One of the eyes was old and sharp, and was looking at Lin Xiaoyue with a scrutinizing look.
Lin Xiaoyue calmly placed the tray on the table and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings to the Queen Mother. May Her Majesty live a thousand years!"
Empress Dowager Yan nodded, extended her hand to support him, and said, "Get up! I heard Jingyao say that your name is also Lin Xiaoyue?"
Lin Xiaoyue's heart skipped a beat, but luckily she had always been wearing a mask that looked like human skin, so she managed to remain calm and replied, "Yes, it is me!"
Empress Dowager Yan stared at Lin Xiaoyue and said, "Where are you from? Lift your head up so I can see."
Lin Xiaoyue raised her head and replied, "Dongyuan Town."
After seeing Lin Xiaoyue's face clearly, Empress Dowager Yan let go of the grudge in her heart and sighed, "Some time ago, the Emperor exiled a concubine, also named Lin Xiaoyue. Judging by the time, she should have arrived in the northern border soon. It's a pity for such a beautiful girl. When the Emperor doted on her, the empresses in the palace had to stay out of her spotlight. Now that she's deposed, it's uncertain whether she can survive in the northern border!"
Lin Xiaoyue knew that the person the Queen Mother was talking about was herself. Not only did she not go to the Northern Territory, she also survived very well! The dog emperor would kill him sooner or later!
She said with regret, "What a poor girl! The current emperor is so cruel and merciless, he will surely be punished by heaven!"
The eldest princess had always liked Lin Xiaoyue's personality. She picked up a bowl of porridge and changed the subject, saying, "Yue'er, you also poured two bowls of porridge? This bowl is for me, right?"
Lin Xiaoyue nodded and said, "Yes. Dad said that the Queen Mother can only eat light food recently, so I made white porridge and some side dishes. I wonder if it suits the Queen Mother's appetite?"
The princess gave Lin Xiaoyue an apologetic smile and, as per protocol, took out a silver needle to test for poison. After confirming that it was fine, she scooped half a spoonful of porridge, put a few diced radish on it, and placed it in Empress Dowager Yan's mouth, saying, "Mother, please try it. What do you think? Yue'er is a well-behaved girl. The owner of Jueweilou says her dishes are delicious."
Empress Dowager Yan leaned over and took a bite. Her taste buds were actually stimulated by a few ordinary salted radish cubes in her originally tasteless mouth!
"Well, Miss Lin's cooking skills are pretty good! By the way, I just heard you mention dad? Is the dad you're referring to Doctor Hua? But you're not from Dongyuan Town?"
Liang Jingyao explained to Empress Dowager Yan, "That's true. I felt that Imperial Doctor Hua was old and alone, and his life was too hard! So I decided to let Yue'er recognize Imperial Doctor Hua as her father, so that there would be someone to see him off in the future."
Empress Dowager Yan's gaze towards Lin Xiaoyue became kind, and she nodded, saying, "That's how it should be. Imperial Physician Hua served the late emperor for many years, and in the end, his family and property were confiscated and his entire family was exterminated. The royal family owes him a great deal!"
At this moment, an anxious voice rang out from outside the door: "Oh no, Master, an army has come out of the capital and is heading here!"
Liang Jingyao opened the door and saw that it was Zhan Hu. He asked him to come in and answer the question, "Which general is leading the team? How many soldiers do they have?"
After Zhan Hu entered the room, he bowed to Empress Dowager Yan and replied, "The leader is the Left Prime Minister, with over a thousand men. Judging from the flags, they appear to be the former subordinates of the Duke of Zhenguo."
Liang Jingyao asked in surprise, "What? You mean the Iron Cavalry? How is that possible? Even if the Iron Cavalry were dispatched, it should be the Crown Prince who would lead them. The Crown Prince is the grandson of the Duke of Zhenguo, so the Iron Cavalry would only show some respect. As for the Left Prime Minister, he's a weak civil servant, how can he convince the people?"
Zhan Hu was also puzzled and shook his head, saying, "I don't know. But the more they are divided, the better it is for us!"
Liang Jingyao saluted the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, the enemy is numerous. I will go over and take a look first. You can rest and recuperate here. The valley is quiet and suitable for recuperation."
Empress Dowager Yan nodded and said, "Jingyao, go with peace of mind!"
"Yes! Thank you, Queen Mother! Yue'er, come with me!" Liang Jingyao did not forget to bring Lin Xiaoyue out when he left.
Lin Xiaoyue didn't like the domineering aura of Empress Dowager Yan, so she quickly responded, "Yes. Your Majesty, I will take my leave!"
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